The French love leisure time most; leisure has become an indispensable art of life in modern urban living. Everyone hopes to make good use of this beautiful holiday, enriching themselves (by traveling) or recharging (enjoying leisurely time and sunshine at a country villa or by the sea), so as to improve work efficiency, or free up time for oneself to live freely and comfortably, or get close to family to adjust body and mind. Thus, the annual summer long vacation has become a sacred and inviolable day for Parisians.

Generally, French people receive thirteen months of salary. In July each year, they receive more than half a month's pay, allowing people to go out and spend a beautiful summer vacation with ample funds (the other half is distributed at Christmas). After the music festivals, Parisians seem to become active in planning their summer vacations. In the fine weather with bright sunshine (long days and short nights), the arrival of summer means the coming of summer holidays. This year, due to the presidential election and the subsequent parliamentary elections, Parisians' summer plans were delayed somewhat, but this did not hinder their sacred and inviolable vacation plans.

Every year in July and August, Parisians leave the city, taking turns going to the mountains and the sea for vacation. Suddenly, the pace of the city slows down, leaving it to tourists from all over the world. On weekends, Parisians mostly go out of the city to their countryside fields, seaside, and mountain vacation houses to spend a relaxed weekend, breathing fresh air or changing scenes to adjust body and mind.

The biggest holiday for the French is not New Year or festivals, but the one-month summer vacation every year. The metropolis takes vacations in shifts, mainly in July and August. It can be divided into two vacations of two weeks each, through coordinated rotating rest by company staff. Therefore, during the summer vacation, the entire French society slows down (except for the tourism industry and some service sectors).

This year's summer vacation started a bit later than usual, with all schools beginning on July 4th. Thus, July 7th and 8th are major days for Parisians to collectively leave the city. Almost all provincial and national roads leading out of Paris are congested. Traffic police adjusting urban traffic will remind people of driving times via mass media. Traffic jams entering and exiting Paris every weekend have become commonplace. Although Parisians lack patience, they have learned the habit of waiting in long lines. Airports and train stations are no exception to the crowds; everyone seems eager to go out for vacation.

Most Parisians' summer long vacations involve going to the mountains and the sea. About 20% travel abroad, and about 10% retreat to small villages in the countryside. Those going to the mountains mostly head to the Massif Central, the Alps, or the Pyrenees, etc., for relief from heat, choosing hiking, trekking, camping, and strolling through mountain fields to spend a beautiful holiday. Another batch seeking the ocean and sunshine goes to Normandy beaches, Brittany beaches, or the Mediterranean beaches in southern France, etc., for relief from heat, lazily enjoying the beach and sunshine. This is one of the French people's favorite leisure activities; in the evening, they can also go to nightclubs (Discotheques) for wild fun and drinking. Others seek quietness and retreat to the countryside to live a peaceful and serene pastoral life. Traveling abroad enriches one's knowledge and experiences other lifestyles, or one enjoys a leisurely vacation with pools and sunshine at a vacation club.

Of course, a small portion of Parisians cannot leave the city and stay in the metropolis for their vacation. The Paris City Hall hosts numerous activities every year for everyone to share, such as Paris beaches, various leisure carnivals (concerts, theater, movies, circuses, etc.), and exhibitions, which are sufficient for Parisians who cannot leave the city and tourists from all over the world to relax, share, and enjoy a beautiful time together.